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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · racket · board · spell · kick · drill · current · trunk

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. spell — a short time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. board — a committee
  9. rest — a break
  10. current — electric
  11. drill — a practice
  12. spell — letters
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — the tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. current — happening now
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — in football
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com